Other Occurrences at the Town Meeting
by Steph5
Summary: People thought the only interesting thing that happened at the town meeting was Luke and Lorelai. They were wrong. Welcome to a slightly unconventional romance.


Other Occurrences at the Town Meeting

by Steph

Summary: People thought the only interesting thing that happened at the town meeting was Luke and Lorelai. They were wrong. Welcome to a slightly unconventional romance.

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

Dedicated to my PIC **Iris** because she first mentioned the ship to me a long time ago.

* * *

Sometimes she really hated the town meetings.

Hell, sometimes she really hated the town.

It was bad enough that she was in a stupid fender bender with Andrew this morning. It was bad enough that he couldn't be a man and admit that he was wrong. Which he was.

No, she had to reenact the accident with him in front of the whole town. She felt like an idiot.

And the whole town voted on who was at fault. No one had actually witnessed the accident, but the majority of people believed that she was at fault and that she would have to pay Andrew for the damages.

Man, they needed a courthouse in this town. Desperately.

Well at least she was able to brush up against Andrew during the reenactment so it wasn't a total loss.

She shouldn't be flippant. This was bad. Where was she going to get the money for damages?

She glowered at Andrew. He frowned back at her.

Her business wasn't exactly booming lately. The only person who came to see her today was Jackson. He was always having problems with his brakes or his engine. The man did like to ride his brakes.

She could always overcharge him.

No she couldn't do that. Mr. Grind It Till You Find It had a new baby and a wife who was rushed to the ER every other week and he didn't have any extra money.

In fact, Jackson had asked her if they could implement a barter system. She'd fix his truck and he'd give her fresh fruit and vegetables.

She told him she'd consider it.

Too bad Luke's smart-ass nephew wasn't in town. She would have no problem overcharging him.

In fact, she'd have fun overcharging him.

Speaking of Luke, he was now the topic of the town meeting. Luke and Lorelai were now sleeping together. Taylor seemed very upset by this.

God, Taylor was an ass sometimes, wasn't he?

Who the hell cared if they were sleeping together?

She didn't.

She made a face at Andrew again.

Taylor was asking for opinions on Luke and Lorelai and she, like everyone else, raised her hand.

If he asked, she would volunteer that she didn't care.

Taylor didn't ask; he just continued talking and was saying that if Luke and Lorelai broke up, the whole town would have to decide if they were a Luke or a Lorelai. Except for Kirk who probably wouldn't be able to make a decision and he'd be neither.

She rolled her eyes at that one. Taylor was so wrong.

It didn't matter if Kirk was indecisive over most things.

Lulu or no Lulu, Kirk, in her humble opinion, had a big man crush on Luke, and would probably follow him anywhere.

If she was forced to pick, would she be a Luke or a Lorelai? She pondered this.

She guessed she'd be a Luke. She had known him longer and had always gotten along better with men than with women.

Plus Luke knew how to cook.

Always a plus.

Taylor began speaking about Art and Fay. Two people who nearly brought the town down when they broke up. Many years ago.

Babette filled in the story about them dating.

She was getting bored again. She looked over at Andrew and, still angry, shot him the dirtiest look she could muster. He coughed, looking uncomfortable.

Good.

Taylor told everyone that everything was great between Fay and Art.

"Until Art met Margie," Miss Patty said.

Oh yeah, she vaguely remembered Margie. "The Fudge Queen," she volunteered.

Taylor continued his story. Apparently you had to decide between flowers and candy.

Valentine's Day was a nightmare, Miss Patty told the crowd.

"Par for the course for me," Kirk dryly remarked.

I hear you, she thought to herself, which scared her. As a rule, one should never agree with or commiserate with Kirk. She glanced over at Andrew again. He was smirking. She had no idea what he was smirking at, but it irritated her.

And now Taylor was bringing out charts. She rolled her eyes. Charts. What a jerk.

And now Luke was storming in front, yelling and ranting. Telling everyone that their relationship was private. Which it was. Telling people they weren't going to break up.

She couldn't help but grin at that. She called out, "Well, isn't he the optimistic fellow?"

She always got such a weird, twisted joy out of messing with Luke. The guy was always so damned serious about everything, so focused and earnest, that sometimes he was just asking to be teased.

Not that she didn't like him. Of course she liked Luke, always had. She had known him since she was a kid, long enough where if she called him Butch, it could be considered nostalgic instead of ironic.

And she did occasionally call him Butch. Usually when other people were around. Just to rattle him a little.

When the Lorelai and Luke matter was resolved to Taylor's liking, after Luke had agreed that he would move if he and Lorelai broke up, the meeting was adjourned and she walked outside. She watched Luke and Lorelai walk out together and she felt almost…

Not jealous. Maybe envious was a better word.

Not that she wanted Butch for herself. No, he was a nice guy and he wasn't bad to look at it, but he just wasn't her type. Never was, never would be.

What she was was envious of happy couples. And then she was a little disgusted with herself. Really disgusted with herself.

"Gypsy," she heard a voice call.

She looked over to see Andrew. "What?" she asked, annoyed. She still hadn't quite forgiven him for the fender bender.

"Do you have a lawyer?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes again. "No."

"I just think it would be a good idea maybe if we got together and looked at insurance information."

"Fine," she said. "Come back to my apartment with me. Maybe we'll get around to looking at it. Maybe not. I make no guarantees. You'll enjoy yourself though."

Sometimes she liked rattling Andrew too. For different reasons of course.

He stared at her openmouthed. He closed his mouth finally, looking shocked.

She didn't know why he always looked so shocked.

You'd think that this was the first time she had propositioned him.

It wasn't.

You'd think he'd be used to it by now.

Apparently he wasn't.

"I don't think this is a very appropriate time for this," he said primly.

"Why?" she asked. "I know you broke up with that woman."

At his dumbfounded look, she decided to clarify her statement. "You know. The blonde who slept with Liam Neeson."

"She did not sleep with Liam Neeson!" he exclaimed. Then he asked "How did you know we broke up?"

Because occasionally she still got (and read) his mail. "I just do," she told him.

"I don't think it's appropriate," he said lowering his voice, "to offer to exchange sex for the money you owe me for my car."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, slightly offended. "That's insulting. I didn't say anything about an exchange. I'd still pay you. The sex would be an added perk.

"And besides," she continued. "I'm a mechanic. I don't need to pay you. I'd be able to fix your car for you on my own."

"Okay," he said.

"Fine," she said. "Bring your car down tomorrow morning. I still have to work on Jackson's piece of crap truck, but…"

"No," he said. "I meant okay to your other offer."

* * *

The next town meeting was a week later. Taylor wanted to fingerprint everyone for the government.

No, she didn't know why either.

She sat in her usual seat across from Andrew. She gave him a sideways, appreciative glance. Andrew was also looking at her. She grinned at him. He smiled back.

He gestured toward the box she was carrying. "What's that?"

"Payday," she said. She showed him the assorted vegetables Jackson had just given her for payment.

"Do you know how to cook?" he asked her.

"No," she said. "Do you?"

"Not really," he said.

"What am I going to do with all this?" she asked. "I didn't even know what these were. He said they were rutabagas. What the hell do I do with a rutabaga?"

"Maybe you can sell them back to Luke for the diner. Or to Lorelai for the inn," Andrew suggested.

That was an idea. "Maybe," she said.

She looked again at the vegetables and then back at Andrew. "So, get into any fender benders lately?"

"Since I saw you this morning?" he asked her, frowning. "No. You?"

"Don't be silly," she said. "I'm an excellent driver."

Andrew started to say something, but Taylor started the meeting. Three minutes into it and she was already bored out of her skull. Town ordinances and laws being broken.

She thought of all the more interesting things she could be doing now.

Like Andrew.

"Our next order of business is something very serious," Taylor intoned. "Something that makes our town look bad. It concerns the bookstore."

Well this just got interesting. "I think he found the drugs, Andrew," she called out.

"That's not funny," Taylor said to her. "No, it was not drug related although I must say I sometimes have my suspicions about what goes on in the bookstore and the type of clientele you cater to."

"What are you talking about?" Andrew asked.

"You know what this is about."

"No I don't," Andrew said. She snorted, amused.

"The Gypsy situation."

What? Wait a second. She looked at Andrew in horror before turning her attention back to Taylor. How could he know that she and Andrew had slept together? That was impossible. Wasn't it?

Although with Miss Patty and Babette around, she guessed anything was possible. This wasn't good.

"You can't show the movie _Gypsy_ for a bookstore movie night. Parents bring their children to the movie night. You can't show a movie about strippers to children. I won't allow it."

"And you can't tell me what to show on my own property."

After a few minutes of somewhat heated debate, Andrew agreed that he wouldn't allow children inside during the movie. Taylor seemed content. And then he started talking about inappropriate lawn decorations, calling out Babette in particular. In the middle of Babette shrieking her case, Gypsy turned to Andrew.

"You're showing the movie _Gypsy_?" she asked. "In honor of…"

"Yes," he said. And he looked so proud of himself for coming up with that, that she had to smile even as she shook her head.

She was, quite possibly, sleeping with the dorkiest man in Stars Hollow.

She turned her head again and made eye contact with Kirk.

Well, maybe the second dorkiest.

* * *

"I thought somehow everyone knew about us," she told him as they walked outside.

"And that would be bad?" he asked her.

"Definitely," she said.

"Wow. Thanks."

"I just don't want people to have town meetings about us or make charts about us. I don't want to know how my sleeping or not sleeping with you will affect the town's economy. It's kind of embarrassing to have everyone in your business. I don't want people to care."

"They won't. Everyone's too preoccupied with them," he said looking at Luke and Lorelai who had a huge crowd around them.

"You're right," she said. She continued to walk with him.

No one noticed that the two of them left together.

That was fine with her.

The end


End file.
